Perennial of the Primulaceae family, this cultivar originates from Primula marginata, a species from the Franco-Italian Maritime Alps, where it colonizes cliffs and crevices of limestone rocks between approximately 1,000 and 2,500 meters in altitude. 'Barbara Clough' is an old cultivar, well established in British and European rock garden collections, although the precise history of its selection is not documented with certainty.
The foliage is one of the most immediately recognizable traits of this cultivar: the leaves are broad, spatulate, medium green to grayish green, covered with a fairly dense and uniform white farinose that gives them a distinctly glaucous appearance. The margins are distinctly toothed and highlighted with a well-marked farinose border, very clear in low light. The rosette is ample and spread out, supported by a discreet stipe.
The flowers, lilac pink to fairly bright mauve pink, are borne in short umbels in spring. In its natural habitat, the species' flowering extends from April to June depending on the altitude; in cultivation, this cultivar generally blooms in March-April.
It requires a very well-drained, slightly alkaline soil, with semi-shade exposure and protection against excessive winter moisture. Cultivation in a rock garden between two stones, or in a trough, suits it perfectly.